


THE ONE WHERE BEN SOLO LIVES

by Benreysolos



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: AU, AU where Ben Solo lives, Alternate Ending, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, I literally cried driving home from the movies, Jedi Ben Solo, Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars AU, The Rise of Skywalker AU, The Rise of Skywalker alternate ending, i can't believe this, im so sad, reylo 4 life, tros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:54:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21884080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benreysolos/pseuds/Benreysolos
Summary: This is my AU after the ending of TROS. I was happy and then I cried. This will be in two parts! I might go off and make even more parts... we shall see.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	THE ONE WHERE BEN SOLO LIVES

**Author's Note:**

> Ok yes we all know what happened,, but what if… this happened? Settle in because I’m going OFF. Chapter 1 of ????

EXEGOL

Rey struggled to carry the weight of her exhaustion. She watched Palpatine, her flesh and blood, her own grandfather, fade into dust. Her arms fell to her sides, her fingers releasing the sabers she held with a vice grip in her hands. The sheer will power mixed with the strength of her own finely-tuned connection with the force had now begun to fade. She collapsed, relief and exhaustion and weakness beginning to leave her body. Her gaze fixated at the galaxy of stars above her as she breathing slowed. She could feel the life force in her fading, her connection with the force leaning towards the afterlife. Rey closed her eyes. Ben, unconscious in the cavern, woke and felt the force inside Rey begin to waver.

Darkness surrounded him in the abyss, that cavern which Palpatine thrust him into with ease. Ben mustered his strength and raised his arms above his head, reaching for the jagged edge of the caverns opening. He hoisted himself, his entire body aching and sore and begging for relief from the bitter cold as he began to crawl out. His eyes darted across the scene— the hundreds of rows where Palpatine’s squalid, depraved looking subjects huddled to watch the atrocity the Emperor was determined to commit, were crushed by the weight of dozens of boulders. The firing of guns and blasters echoed above him, along with the crash of metal on metal, the croaking of star destroyers cracking in half.

Sweat and dirt clung to his face and his body and his hands, and he shuddered when his eyes finally fell on a lying figure in the distance— Rey. He closed his eyes and tried to sense what was left of the force coming from her body. There was a faint glimmer there, still within her. But he was running out of time. He scrambled towards her, crawling on his hands and knees. When he reached her, with outstretched arms he turned her body towards his. He crouched beside her and turned her face to his own. Her skin grew cold, her breathing shallow. Panic hurled towards him like a crashing wave from a vicious sea. He scanned the scene once more. No one, no one around to help him, no one around to comfort the profound ache that had only just begun to surface in his heart. He brought Rey’s body closer to his, and held her as he stared at the ground, seized with a tension that rippled through his heart and all through his body. He took a breath. He pulled away from her and cradled her head in his left hand. He held his gaze onto her face, his right hand secured on her torso. Then he closed his eyes.

With every last piece of himself, he pushed his force energy from his body and focused it in the palm of his hand. From his hand he felt the life energy of the force within him transfer from his body to Rey’s, reanimating her body, bringing back her soul. Everything he had he gave to her, all that he had left, all that he was, all that he could muster he gathered in the palm of his hand. It felt as though an eternity had passed. The carnage of war above him and the bitter cold surrounding him became unbearable, until--

A warm, delicate palm made his way onto his hand. Ben's eyes snapped open as he took in a sharp burst of air. Beautiful hazel eyes gazed up at him, darting all across his face, the color finally returning to her cheeks. Rey sat up, vivacious and shaking from the strength of force energy transferred to her from Ben. Ben…

“Ben,” she spoke softly. He sat there in front of her, trembling and tired but admiring her as the one spark of beauty there in the pit of Exegol, of dread, of misery. She was the light at the end of the dark hell that he had lived all his life. His eyes darted all across her face, taking in every detail of her eyes, her cheeks, her cupids bow as his heart swelled with happiness. Rey smiled wide, her face inches away from his, and then—

Her lips on his. Soft, beckoning. He pressed his lips harder onto hers and held them there, relishing in the moment he had spent his lonely nights dreaming about. His fingers found themselves in the silky strands of her hair before making their way down to the nape of her neck. He felt her shudder as they slowly broke apart. Rey felt the force flow between her and Ben, her dyad, her other half, her soulmate. They held each other close as Ben smiled, keeping his forehead close to hers, a real expression of joy that he had never felt before in his entire life.

“I can’t believe this,” Rey said, as tears fell down the apples of her cheeks.

“You did it,” Ben said.

“We did it,” Rey replied, struggling to hold back her sobs.

Ben reached his hand up to hold her hand which graced his cheek. He stood up and brought her upwards. “Will you join me? As the one by my side?” His eyes were overflowing with emotion.

“Yes, Ben, yes,” she cried, as they embraced once more. The roars of the Resistance ships above them no longer sounded like failure, but triumph.

 _One standard week later_.

CHANDRILA

It was after dark. Rey sat on the balcony of her living quarters, gazing at the horizon line, letting her eyes gaze up to the star-studded sky, up to the glowing full moon. She closed her eyes and breathed in the crispness of the fresh air, listening to thee rustling of leaves with the wind. Tomorrow was a day that had come too soon— Leia Organa’s funeral.

She thought of Ben. He had been more than restless, more than uneasy but with Rey by his side, she made his suffering all the more bearable. The strength of their bond still left them tied together, and they were only a moments connection away from communicating with each other. She thought of Finn and Poe and Rose, of all the changes she brought to them with Ben Solo’s return, of peace brought to the galaxy, the shock on the resistance crew’s faces when she had brought the mask-less Kylo Ren home. It was much to process, and Rey was bittersweet— with the death of Leia, and the return of her son, she had only wished that they could have been reunited as a family, together, the way she had always wanted it to be.

The door to Rey’s quarters opened and shut. Ben returned from his evening walk. Rey turned to see Ben removing his shoes, his left hand leaning on the wall as he pulled them both off with his right, a habit of his. She smiled. He met her on the balcony and greeted her with his hand on hers.

She placed her hands on his arms and looked up at his face. She took in the image of his tousled black hair, his soft skin. His wet eyes looked down at the floor and then back up at Rey.

“How was your walk?” She asked.

“Fine,” Ben replied. He exhaled and looked out at the plants and trees rustling in the moonlight.

Rey paused. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

Tears began to well up in Ben’s eyes.

“You can tell me,” she ushered gently. She moved a lock of hair that covered his face, caressing his cheek with her hand after she gently placed it behind his ear.

Ben paused. He began to shudder. “I just wish she was here.” He said. Another moment of silence passed as he held Rey’s hands in his own, gripping her fingers. “It’s my fault, all of it…”

“She’s with us, she’ll always be with us,” Rey reassured, fighting back her own tears. Ben began to cry.

“Rey," he said. "Every day I live with what I’ve done,” he shuddered. “And every day I wish I could take it all back,” He began to tremble, trying to swallow back his tears. "Every day. Nothing I do can take back what I've done." He looked down and began to place his head in his hands. Rey lifted his face.

“Ben,” her voice trembled. “Ben, look at me.” He raised his head and his eyes met hers. Pain and remorse furrowed his eyebrows and darkened his expression. “Think about the man that you’ve become. Think of who you are now.” She said. “If you hadn’t saved me on Exegol, everything would be lost.”

“But if it weren’t for me…”

"If I could take away everything Snoke did to you, I would." she said. "But now you're safe, you're safe with us."

"Rey..." he said.

“Ben,” she affirmed. “I love you. Do you know that?” He gazed into her face, her expression warm and compassionate.

“And I love you,” he replied.

“I will _always_ love you,” she said, “And I will stand by you, and the person I know you are and want to become, forever.” Ben’s heavy breathing slowed down. She embraced him and breathed in his comforting smell. They looked back out at the balcony, Rey’s head on her lover’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Ben’s tears ebbed away.

“I…” he began again. He looked down at Rey. “Thank you. For everything.” They met each other’s gaze once more, filled with love and longing. Rey’s heart fluttered and her emotions began to swell. Ben leaned in and his lips met hers, tender, gentle. His hands moved up her back as they melted into each other, their force energy coursing through them both, the only sound the leaves rustling in the wind.

**Author's Note:**

> @Lucasfilm hire me to write Episode X
> 
> Please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed!


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